


if you kill her

by DestinyFreeReally



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/F, Minor Violence, amputation mention, noose mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 18:50:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10725126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinyFreeReally/pseuds/DestinyFreeReally
Summary: Gabrielle's in danger, Xena's on the rescue, and the bad guys better clear out.





	if you kill her

     Even as Xena tried to keep calm, her eyes kept taking quick, panicked glances up at Gabrielle, balance on a pedestal, with rope loosely dangling over her collarbone- and another set of ropes binding her hands and mouth. They'd been defending a village, and when Xena turned around, Gabrielle had vanished, apparently carried off by some kidnappers- kidnappers with a score to settle with the Warrior princess.  
  
     "You should know what you're getting yourself into," Xena called to the man with his hand hovering on the pedestal- ready to push and hang Gabrielle any moment, "because if you kill her, you'll have to kill me, too. Because if you kill her and you  _don't_ kill me, you're  _all_ gonna die." She wanted to call to Gabrielle, that it would be alright soon enough, that she had a plan, but she didn't want to alarm the kidnappers into trying to kill Gabrielle.   
  
  
     "So maybe I shouldn't kill her then; maybe I should just take one of her hands, like you did mine,  _Xe-na._ " The man with one hand on the pedestal, held up his other arm, "Remember  _this_ act of mercy,  _Warrior Princess?_ " The man spat, too far from Xena to reach her shoes, but the message read loud and clear.   
  
     "That  _was_ an act of mercy, Caleus, by law the penalty for child stealing  _was_ death, and Gabrielle has done nothing wrong here." Hands up in a show of calm surrender, Xena could recognize a man so blind with anger he'd never see sense, and she recognized it in front of her.  
  
     When Caleus pushed, Gabrielle felt the pedestal fall away- for a moment she felt weightless, and then she felt the noose trap a scream in her throat- for only a second, though, until the  _whoosh_ of the chakram cut her free, and she fell. Xena ran to collide with Gabrielle, cushioning the fall's impact, before she turned a murderous eye to Caleus.  
  
     "I could still be persuaded to kill you," Xena threatened, only breathing relief when Caleus and his group of kidnappers started scrambling to run, and then Xena looked to Gabrielle; unbinding her and slipping the noose free from around her neck.   
  
     Once free, Gabrielle threw her arms over Xena, still a little short of breath, and a little panicked.   
  
     "Thanks, Xena." Gabrielle took a deep, shaky breath. "Gosh, I wish your fanclub was smaller," She teased, and they both smiled for that.   
  
     " _You're the one_ who's always telling me about mercy; look, I let that guy live." Xena pointed up into the hills, where she could assume they would all be running from her. Mouth in an attempted-pout, Gabrielle looked more amused than truly scolding. "Does this mean dinner's on me?"  
  
     For a moment, Gabrielle's eyes sparkled over, near-death experience all but forgotten for now. "Dessert, too. I need something sweet to get to the taste of  _rope_ out of my mouth."


End file.
